Meet Me In St. Louis

The movie itself is the story of the life of an American family in 1903 in Saint Louis and their ups and downs throughout one year's time. Does the father take that new job and move the family from Saint Louis to New York? Do Esther (played by Judy) and Rose find the loves of their lives? Watch and find out! A special treat is the strikingly convincing acting of Margaret O'Brien as the youngest sibling in this large family from the last turn of the century. Margaret won an award at the Oscars and she very much deserved it-she acts her little heart out!

In short, this movie is a BUY! Go get it! Order it here, or shop for it anywhere-but just get it and enjoy a great American musical and the numerous bonus extras that are very hard to find elsewhere!


What a treat !   June 2, 2004
Just finished viewing this delightful movie with my husband, 15 year old son and 13 year old daughter. Of course, it gets a little "sappy" at times but there are definitely worse ways to spend a few hours of family time. The film copy was gorgeous. We especially enjoyed the interior design of the older home. A favorite was the opening scene with the family gathered in the kitchen critiqueing the homemade batch of catsup. The music was neither too much, nor too little and kept the story moving at a comfortable pace. We highly recommend this gem of a film.


Amazing color palette   May 19, 2004
I couldn't disagree more with Dan Navarette's evaluation of the Technicolor restoration presented in this edition. It's absolutely stunning, and a revelation to boot. I believe part of the problem with the perception of colors in this film is that, for years, the only measuringstick to which viewers could turn for reference were inferior Eastmancolor prints (both 16mm and 35mm) used in university and theatrical revivals, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, and less-than-stellar video transfers in early and some later VHS editions. These prints completely lacked the refinement of the transfer in this new DVD, and the subtle palette of colors that Vincente Minelli, Cedric Gibbons, Lemuel Ayers, Irene Sharaff, et al. employed was rendered garish and indistinct at best, and washed-out and lifeless at worst (and oftentimes all within the same print, varying from scene to scene).

The case in point that Mr. Navarette mentions is interesting: the striped tennis dress that Judy Garland wears early in the film, most notably while singing "The Boy Next Door." What the viewer sees here for the first time is the subtle slate-blue color of the stripes that was intended, not the sickly baby blue that was rendered in the subpar prints and transfers of years past. Gone, too, are the pasty and unstable flesh tones, and when colors are intended to "pop," they do so -- and how -- such as with the red velvet gown that Ms. Garland wears to the Christmas ball. And the detail that has been captured in this transfer is nothing short of miraculous, especially in the several scenes shot in half-light (which was not easy to do with the early Technicolor process). In short, what the film enthusiast finally has in this DVD is a true "golden yardstick" by which to measure future prints of this painstakingly designed and beautifully photographed film.